by Samantha Samler | Aug 17, 2023 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Faculty-Led, Summer
Pre-departure Stress Before my study abroad trip to Guatemala I was very nervous about a lot of things. I felt like I knew no one who was going, I had no idea what to pack, and I was so scared that I would hate my time abroad because I had never known anyone who had...
by Samantha Samler | Aug 17, 2023 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Midterms Halfway through week two in Guatemala we had midterms for our two classes we have been taking while abroad. Our classes are Politics of Developing Nations and Politics of Latin American Countries. While studying for midterms me and a couple of my classmates...
by Braden Hopkins | Jul 31, 2023 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Top Left: my personal handmade chocolate bar. Top Right: coffee bean plants. Middle Left: ripe coffee shell and beans. Middle Right: coffee bean sorting station. Bottom Left: terrace to dry coffee beans. Bottom Right: coffee bean roasters. Along with our coursework...
by Braden Hopkins | Jul 31, 2023 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Waterfall fireworks in the main square. In Antigua, Guatemala, July 25th is the holiday called St. James Day. The tradition comes from colonial times, as apostle St. James was the patron saint of the conquistadors that settled the area for Spain. It is a grand...
by Braden Hopkins | Jul 31, 2023 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
The whole group at the peak of our hike, with Pacaya in the background. During the entire trip, my anxiety was building for our hike on Pacaya, an active volcano thirty minutes away from Antigua. I am not very athletic and legitimately thought I would pass out if I...
by Braden Hopkins | Jul 31, 2023 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Another student brought a nice camera to take pictures of us at sunset. After finishing up midterms for PSC 331 and 332, we traveled as a group for a quick getaway to Monterrico beach. We left early in the morning and drove three hours to Hotel El Faro, located in the...
by Braden Hopkins | Jul 31, 2023 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
A view of Guatemala City at night from the balcony of AC Hotel Our professor and tour guide in front of an ancient, replicated textile at Universidad Francisco Marroquin. Had to take a picture in the Barbie box after eating dinner in Cayala. Inside of the Catholic...
by Braden Hopkins | Jul 31, 2023 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
View of Lake Atitlán from at boardwalk in Panajachel. Our first overnight excursion was to Lake Atitlán, which is located in the highlands of the Sierra Madre Mountain range in southwest Guatemala. On the way through Guatemala’s winding mountain roads, we...
by Braden Hopkins | Jul 30, 2023 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
Sunsets at Casa Herrera One of the main reasons I chose to study abroad in Antigua, Guatemala is the course content offered within my program. I am on a faculty led trip taught by Dr. Chris Hale, an amazing professor from the political science department. I am taking...
by M. Winchester | Aug 12, 2022 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Faculty-Led, Summer, _
The Stars in Guatemala My Last Sunrise in Guatemala Saying goodbye to Guatemala was hard. My return to the U.S. wasn’t a happy one, even with being able to see friends and loved ones I missed. Getting here meant unlearning all of my Guatemala-specific habits I’d...
by E. Webber | Jul 30, 2022 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Faculty-Led, Summer
Lake Atitlán is a volcanic crater lake in surrounded by volcanoes in the highlands of southwest Guatemala. During the faculty-led UA in Guatemala trip, we spent two days on the lake. The lake is surrounded by villages and towns, many of which are predominantly Mayan....
by M. Winchester | Jul 24, 2022 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Faculty-Led, Summer
The Black Sands of Monterrico Beach Hola from Antigua, Guatemala! This is my first time out of the country, and I wanted to pick a trip that would be affordable and educational, and this trip exceeded my expectations. Guatemala is a gorgeous country with mountains and...
by E. Webber | Jul 14, 2022 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Europe, Faculty-Led, Summer
This summer, I went on two faculty-led study abroad trips: UA in Guatemala: Development and Human Rights and UA in Spain: Language and Culture. Before studying abroad, I had very limited travel experience. I had never traveled abroad before, and I had never flown...
by M. Winchester | Jun 18, 2022 | Arts & Sciences, Central America, Faculty-Led, Honors College, Summer
Getting Ready for Take Off When going abroad, whether for the first time or the fifteenth, we all have ideas in mind of what to do in advance. Buy luggage, pack extra socks, maybe study a few essential words in a language- all good things! What stands out to me most,...
